The dialogue is perfectly clear and understandable throughout the film. The scene with Marisol and Bernie eating breakfast is the only exception. Parts of the dialogue sound as if they were re-recorded, because they sound different and are very noticeably off-sync. The odd thing is, about half of each person’s dialogue sounds fine, and half sounds like it was redone in post. I would strongly suggest re-recording the audio for the entire scene, taking care to ensure that the recording is in sync with the action. It’s annoying and time-consuming, but it will greatly improve the quality of both the scene and film itself.
Use of Budget
It’s difficult enough to plan and film a feature-length movie on a micro-budget; it’s even more difficult for such a film to have a good story and be good quality. Just when I thought I’d seen everything… Mr. Saldaña was able to make this film –his first, no less!—for a mere $2,000. With the content and overall quality that this movie delivers, I am absolutely astounded that he made such a great film for so little money.
Lasting Appeal
I’ve seen this film all the way through twice, once by myself and once with a friend, and I thoroughly enjoyed it both times. (And my friend liked it too!) This is a film that is worth watching more than once, and one that you will enjoy watching with friends as well.
Conclusion
El Reporte is a truly funny and enjoyable film. It has a good message, and makes its point apparent without pounding it in. The dialogue is well-written and the story flows well. It could stand to lose a particularly slow scene that seems to interrupt the flow of the story and doesn’t add to it very much. The camerawork is shaky throughout the film, but overall is not bad enough to make you not want to watch it. Future films could be improved by the use of camera rigs. The soundtrack is absolutely superb, and the audio is, for the most part, well done. The audio for the breakfast scene needs to be re-recorded, and the levels on the guitar solo need to be adjusted and balanced so that they are not so high.
A wonderful example of what can be accomplished on a microcinema budget, El Reporte is worth watching more than once and sharing with your friends. Congratulations to Mr. Saldaña on an outstanding debut film!
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Content |
8.5 |
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Visual
Look |
7.5 |
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Use
of Audio |
8.0 |
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Use
of Budget |
10.0 |
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Lasting
Appeal |
8.5 |
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Overall
Score |
8.5
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